February 2026 Reading List
I’m supposed to be taking it easy. Physical therapy, rehabilitation, relearning basic things. But here’s the thing about having a full plate. It isn’t full until I say it’s full.
Sci-fi and fantasy are my comfort zone. Always have been. But 2026 is the year I’m pushing myself out of genre with a challenge: eight classical books, each over 1,000 pages, two per quarter. I’m calling it the year of the chonker. Why? Because if I’m going to read the books I should have read years ago, I’m going all in. No half measures.
This February, I’m adding nine books; seven from book clubs, one personal read, and one advance review copy. That’s 2,981 pages before we even count the 1,761 pages I’m already deep into with this quarter’s two chonkers. Total commitment: 4,742 pages. That’s 169 pages per day for 28 days.
Ambitious? Sure. Absurd? Absolutely. But that’s the point.
Here’s what I’m piling on:
📚 The Challenge: Classics
Sci-fi and fantasy are my comfort zone, so these are the books pushing me out of genre. The two chonkers span multiple months and aren’t included in February’s page count.
The Count of Monte Cristo
~1,276 pages
Book Club: Books Are Sick
Synopsis: Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and becomes determined not only to escape but to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration.
Sci-fi and fantasy are my comfort zone, so I’m pushing myself to read outside genre with two classical chonkers per quarter. This one’s winning. I have a feeling it’ll end up as one of my all-time favorites.
Book Club: Books Are Sick
Synopsis: Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and becomes determined not only to escape but to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration.
Sci-fi and fantasy are my comfort zone, so I’m pushing myself to read outside genre with two classical chonkers per quarter. This one’s winning. I have a feeling it’ll end up as one of my all-time favorites.
War and Peace
~1,392 pages
Book Club: Catastrophically Classic on Fable
Synopsis: An epic of the Napoleonic Wars that follows five Russian aristocratic families over fifteen years, exploring the French invasion of Russia in 1812. It’s a profound examination of the individual’s place in the historical process, combining fiction with philosophical chapters on history and human nature.
It’s good, but it doesn’t compete with Monte Cristo. Tolstoy’s taking the backseat this quarter.
Book Club: Catastrophically Classic on Fable
Synopsis: An epic of the Napoleonic Wars that follows five Russian aristocratic families over fifteen years, exploring the French invasion of Russia in 1812. It’s a profound examination of the individual’s place in the historical process, combining fiction with philosophical chapters on history and human nature.
It’s good, but it doesn’t compete with Monte Cristo. Tolstoy’s taking the backseat this quarter.
The Invisible Man
192 pages
Synopsis: A scientist creates a serum to render himself invisible, but his lust for power and revenge lead to his descent into madness. A classic science fiction tale exploring the dark side of scientific ambition and the dangers of isolation.
Another classic for the collection. This is the year I’m tackling the books I should have read years ago. Plus, book club assigned it, so no backing out now. Books Are Sick is pulling double duty this quarter with both Monte Cristo and this. That’s 1,468 pages from one club. No complaints though.
Synopsis: A scientist creates a serum to render himself invisible, but his lust for power and revenge lead to his descent into madness. A classic science fiction tale exploring the dark side of scientific ambition and the dangers of isolation.
Another classic for the collection. This is the year I’m tackling the books I should have read years ago. Plus, book club assigned it, so no backing out now. Books Are Sick is pulling double duty this quarter with both Monte Cristo and this. That’s 1,468 pages from one club. No complaints though.
🚀 The Comfort Zone: Speculative Fiction
The Left Hand of Darkness
304 pages
Synopsis: A groundbreaking work of science fiction about a lone human envoy sent to Winter (Gethen), an icebound alien world whose inhabitants are ambisexual with no fixed gender. His goal is to facilitate Winter’s inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization, but to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of this completely dissimilar culture. A landmark achievement exploring gender, society, and human connection.
My first Le Guin. She’s a legend and I’m way overdue to read her. Curious to see if 1960s sci-fi holds up against the modern stuff I’m reading alongside it.
Synopsis: A groundbreaking work of science fiction about a lone human envoy sent to Winter (Gethen), an icebound alien world whose inhabitants are ambisexual with no fixed gender. His goal is to facilitate Winter’s inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization, but to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of this completely dissimilar culture. A landmark achievement exploring gender, society, and human connection.
My first Le Guin. She’s a legend and I’m way overdue to read her. Curious to see if 1960s sci-fi holds up against the modern stuff I’m reading alongside it.
The Everlasting
320 pages
Synopsis: A time-loop fantasy romance where historian Owen Mallory travels back in time to meet legendary knight Una Everlasting. Her story is central to the identity of his nation hundreds of years in the future, and he’s bound to retell it over and over again. Together, they’re tangled in time, but if they want to rewrite Una’s legend and finally tell a different story, they’ll have to rewrite history itself.
Time-loop fantasy romance. I haven’t read Harrow before, but I’m going in on the strength of the book club that picked it.
Synopsis: A time-loop fantasy romance where historian Owen Mallory travels back in time to meet legendary knight Una Everlasting. Her story is central to the identity of his nation hundreds of years in the future, and he’s bound to retell it over and over again. Together, they’re tangled in time, but if they want to rewrite Una’s legend and finally tell a different story, they’ll have to rewrite history itself.
Time-loop fantasy romance. I haven’t read Harrow before, but I’m going in on the strength of the book club that picked it.
Carl’s Doomsday Scenario
371 pages
Synopsis: The training levels have concluded. Now the games may truly begin. Carl and Princess Donut (his ex-girlfriend’s cat) face the third floor of the alien dungeon game show. They call it the Over City: a sprawling, once-thriving metropolis devastated by a mysterious calamity. An undead circus trawls the ruins, murdered women rain from the sky, and an ancient spell is ready to reveal its dark purpose. This LitRPG sequel combines humor, heart, and high-stakes dungeon crawling.
Book one was ridiculous fun. A guy and his ex-girlfriend’s cat fighting through an alien dungeon game show. If book two keeps that energy, this is shaping up as my favorite February read and definitely my favorite new series so far.
Synopsis: The training levels have concluded. Now the games may truly begin. Carl and Princess Donut (his ex-girlfriend’s cat) face the third floor of the alien dungeon game show. They call it the Over City: a sprawling, once-thriving metropolis devastated by a mysterious calamity. An undead circus trawls the ruins, murdered women rain from the sky, and an ancient spell is ready to reveal its dark purpose. This LitRPG sequel combines humor, heart, and high-stakes dungeon crawling.
Book one was ridiculous fun. A guy and his ex-girlfriend’s cat fighting through an alien dungeon game show. If book two keeps that energy, this is shaping up as my favorite February read and definitely my favorite new series so far.
The Final Empire
541 pages
Synopsis: In a world where ash falls from the sky and mist dominates the night, an evil cloaks the land and stifles all life. Kelsier, a half-Skaa thief with the powers of a Mistborn, recruits the underworld’s elite to attempt the ultimate heist: not just the greatest robbery in history, but the downfall of the divine despot himself. He’s joined by Vin, a ragged half-Skaa orphan who must learn to trust as she discovers powers she never dreamed of.
My sister and I have been hearing about Mistborn and Sanderson’s legendary output forever, but neither of us have actually read him. We kept asking each other ‘have you read it yet?’ and the answer was always no. So I asked her to buddy read it with me and then mistakenly chose February to do it. Short, packed month.
Synopsis: In a world where ash falls from the sky and mist dominates the night, an evil cloaks the land and stifles all life. Kelsier, a half-Skaa thief with the powers of a Mistborn, recruits the underworld’s elite to attempt the ultimate heist: not just the greatest robbery in history, but the downfall of the divine despot himself. He’s joined by Vin, a ragged half-Skaa orphan who must learn to trust as she discovers powers she never dreamed of.
My sister and I have been hearing about Mistborn and Sanderson’s legendary output forever, but neither of us have actually read him. We kept asking each other ‘have you read it yet?’ and the answer was always no. So I asked her to buddy read it with me and then mistakenly chose February to do it. Short, packed month.
Moonrise (Books 1-5)
829 pages | ARC (Advance Reader Copy)
Synopsis: The Moonrise saga is a series of snack-size fantasy novels spanning a vibrant continent and following a cast of several diverse characters. Each book contains original interior artwork and illustrations for an aesthetic and immersive experience.
Learn more: linktr.ee/moonrisesaga
I signed up for ARC reviews to practice writing in my own voice and share my oddball way of looking at things. Eventually, I want more publishing options, even if it’s as a reviewer rather than a content creator. This is one of my first review copies, so the pressure’s on. Review coming shortly after I finish. I’m diving in blind, but the cover alone sold me.
Synopsis: The Moonrise saga is a series of snack-size fantasy novels spanning a vibrant continent and following a cast of several diverse characters. Each book contains original interior artwork and illustrations for an aesthetic and immersive experience.
Learn more: linktr.ee/moonrisesaga
I signed up for ARC reviews to practice writing in my own voice and share my oddball way of looking at things. Eventually, I want more publishing options, even if it’s as a reviewer rather than a content creator. This is one of my first review copies, so the pressure’s on. Review coming shortly after I finish. I’m diving in blind, but the cover alone sold me.
☕ The Break: Contemporary Fiction
Soyangri Book Kitchen
224 pages
Synopsis: A heartwarming Korean novel about a healing book café and bookstay in the countryside. Yoojin opens the Book Kitchen by chance in Soyangri, a village two hours from Seoul, where it functions as both a bookshop/café and overnight accommodation. Over the course of one year, multiple characters, from a music idol facing an identity crisis to a lawyer with an unsettling medical diagnosis, find comfort and hope through books, food, and companionship.
My palate cleanser between all the world-building and magic systems. Cozy Korean cafés, no dragons, and so far it’s delivering exactly what I need.
Synopsis: A heartwarming Korean novel about a healing book café and bookstay in the countryside. Yoojin opens the Book Kitchen by chance in Soyangri, a village two hours from Seoul, where it functions as both a bookshop/café and overnight accommodation. Over the course of one year, multiple characters, from a music idol facing an identity crisis to a lawyer with an unsettling medical diagnosis, find comfort and hope through books, food, and companionship.
My palate cleanser between all the world-building and magic systems. Cozy Korean cafés, no dragons, and so far it’s delivering exactly what I need.
📊 Total February Page Count: 2,981 pages
Is this sustainable? Probably not. Will my physical therapist approve? Definitely not. But I already told you, my plate, my rules. February’s 28 days, 2,981 pages, seven books from book clubs, one personal read, and one ARC. That’s before factoring in the 1,761 pages I’m already deep into with two 19th-century doorstoppers. Total commitment: 4,742 pages, 169 pages per day. Let’s see what breaks first, the month or me.
Tags: